Homeward
by FieryHorizon
Summary: AU Story. Sakura has a tragic past that she's been covering up, but knowing him, he'll get to the bottom of it. KakaSaku rated M for violence/language and possible lemon in later chapters. RnR please!
1. Chapter 1

Yo, FieryHorizon here, I had uploaded this story on a separate account (Platti) and I never got to finishing it, but I wanted to post it again, this time with the intent to finish it, so...enjoy?

I wander aimlessly, alone and cold, looking for the next morsel of food. I have been like this for about a year now, I no longer go to school, I have no place to stay. I am forgotten, a ghost, a shadow of a memory, like the rest of my family, I am dead. I run from the police all the time; the just want to get me to throw me into public school again, I can't face them people. They are too judgmental, anything you do is being watched and if they don't approve, you're nothing anymore…I hate it. I would've been going into tenth grade right now, I was in school last year, I passed with flying colors, I just don't want to go back to that. If you're too good in something academic, you're labeled as a geek. If you're good in something athletic, you're labeled as a jock or prep. If you do drugs, you're labeled as a rebel, or a lowlife, sometimes even a loser. I guess that I am a little bit of all of these labels. I try not to judge myself, many might say that my belief is that only God can judge me, but I am atheist, there is no such thing as 'God' to me, if so, where is he? All there is here in Konoha, is death, prejudice, racism, and labels, no God, no sort of deity whatsoever.

My name is Sakura Haruno I don't have a future I am told, only a shadowed and loaded past that not many know about, I have friends, a few very good friends who will give me shelter once in a while, most of them are out on the streets like myself. We are the group who slipped through the court and judicial systems. I grew up too fast, I don't sleep and I hardly eat, unless I steal, and I despise stealing, there are times when you have to do what you have to do though, that of which I cannot help, even if I wanted to. It is mid-September already, school has been going on for about two weeks so far, maybe I should go? My mother and step-father use to always tell me that my education came before everything else, maybe I should make them happy and proud of me by going back? I haven't technically dropped out yet. I still have a chance. Not many people nowadays have the kind of mind that I do, so why not put it to use for once? One more try at a future and a happy life couldn't hurt, could it?

I still wander aimlessly, the drug addicts and dealers stare at me as if they have any room to talk on appearances, or maybe they look at me because they know the kind of mental and emotional pain that I am going through? Or maybe they know what kind of pain is in store for me? One of them calls me over, he looks friendly enough. He's about six foot, skinny almost anorexic-like, with jaded green eyes and jet black hair that looks like it hasn't been washed in a while. His jeans are too big and faded, they look as if they were once a dark blue, his white T-shirt is stained and grungy looking with wrinkles everywhere. He looks worse for wear than myself. It almost scares me.

"Hey, you gotta dime?" I looked at him and his pleading features. A dime? Or a dime bag? I must've looked confused because he clarified for me.

"Man, look I need some hash." I just shook my head and turned away to look up at the glittering sky. I turned halfway to him and spoke only loud enough for us two to hear.

"I need a lot of things, like a place to stay, food, and water, drugs is the last thing on my list…and should be the last thing on yours also, if you have a home, you should get inside it's dangerous out here and it's getting cold." I turned and lifted my hand in a two fingered salute as I walked away. His eyes bore into my back, it should've affected me, but I get it often. I shook my head and breathed in the cool night air. Tomorrow is school time. I said aloud to myself decisively. There was nobody else out on the streets, I stay away from the alleyways, they're to dangerous for myself. I try to stay away from the violence and drugs nowadays.

Roll call, I hate it, it draws too much attention when you raise your hand or say "Here." I did both out of habit. Every set of eyes where on me. The whispers started, hushed and quick, as if I didn't know that they were talking about me. I had snuck in a shower today and a clean set of clothes, I look like I belong with them, so what's their problem? I will probably never know. Tsunade-sensei didn't pay any attention as she rattled off the rest of the names and took attendance. Today we got our periodic table of elements, how fun. She told us what the numbers next to the abbreviations in the squares meant. I didn't really pay any attention, I already knew it all. This class will probably be a breeze like Biology was last year in tenth grade. I should try and sucker some of my good friends to come to school, like I had any place to be the voice of reason or their conscience for them. I sighed, today was going to be a long ass day.

Health class went by quickly with the introduction to Sex-ed. Of course I get the immature batch of kids who have to snicker when the word 'penis' or 'vagina' come up in one of Shizune-sensei's sentences, she didn't find them very amusing, like me she was getting tired of it. She's a teacher, she should be use to such immature behavior yet she acts so surprised, it's like we're getting, no they are getting worse every year. I can't be bothered with all of this, the looks the snickers. I speak up for the first time all day.

"If you can't handle the words penis and vagina, then maybe you should check back into fifth grade, just grow up already." I knew that I get away with my mouth, and I knew that I would pay for that later. The glares that I get from the previously snickering students confirm my suspicions, not that I really had any. I just buried my head in the crook of my elbow on the desk. Like I said before, today is going to be a long ass day.

Gym class, I can't play because I have no clothes. Gai-sensei wasn't to happy about me not playing and sitting out after completely missing the first two weeks of school, it's amazing how gossip about students makes it around the school so quickly. I set my feet up on the bleacher row in front of me and I lean my back against the bars on the end of the bleacher section. There isn't anybody else in my section so I don't mind singing softly to myself. I couldn't help but closing my eyes and drifting off into a dream-like land. I don't ever sleep deeply, I never had, not since the murders occurred.

As soon as somebody snickered in my direction and started whispering quite loudly (loud enough for me to hear) to their buddy, I woke up immediately. I looked at them, indifference coloring my features. After being this way for so long I have learned to school my features quite well, I don't show many emotions unless I want to. They were the few ones that shut up after being found out. I didn't bother taking my gaze off of them. People are afraid of me, unless they are in groups of five or more. The only reason that I can fathom is because they've never really seen me fight before, let alone loose my cool.

It's not the fear of me myself, it's the fear of not knowing how it will all go down if they do get to big for their britches. Don't get me wrong, I don't get into many fights, I don't mind fighting, I get a sick thrill out of it. I have never really started any however, I let my prey make their move first. Then I take them down, like a wolf. That's what they call me, the lone wolf.

Somebody decided to start a food fight today, and then blame it on me. Orochimaru-sensei, our principal was less than amused with me for something I didn't even do. I've learned a long time ago to not open my mouth. Like they say, snitches get stitches, and in this school that is definitely true to a T. I just grin and bare it as I am handed a mop and bucket while being supervised by Orochimaru-sensei. We don't speak, at least not at first. He isn't a very friendly man. I don't want to open myself and get in even worse trouble.

"Haruno, where've you been?" left to right, left to right. I watched and timed the mop as I did these movements. I didn't plan on answering him, it isn't his business after all.

"You do know that I was going to have you get in trouble with the law for playing hooky." he sounded, no acted as if he actually cared. For a moment at the thought of somebody besides my friends caring made my old black heart beat with a purpose. I sideway glanced at him as I ceased my mop movements.

"It doesn't matter now does it? I'm here and I plan on staying, happy?" I said the happy a little sarcastically. I realized soon enough that he didn't actually care, he is paid to care.

"Good, you know this school needs as much money as we can milk from the village, and every little student helps." his voice didn't sound concerned anymore. My heart slowed down a bit and started beating for only one purpose again: keeping me alive.

"Do any of you know what time period the Reign of Terror was in?" Kurenai-sensei bless her soul, still tries valiantly to spark interest in not interested people. I raised my hand.

"Yes Sakura?" she looked and sounded tired today, I guess that whole 'not trying anymore' speech will start tomorrow, I can tell she needs a break right now. "During the French Revolution." she suddenly looked relieved.

"Yes, and that is the last blank for this worksheet and we are done for today." I like this class, I like Kurenai-sensei, she's cool, even though I don't understand why we have to learn about America…why should we care? Besides, we only have about six kids in this class, including me, and they are all cool, not like the monsters in my other classes. I stare at the slightly mangy chalkboard and tipped back in my chair. Memories played out before me on that blackboard, some happy times from when I was a little kid with my parents and siblings. Then there were darker ones, like the blood…blood was everywhere on that day. I got semi lost in the memory. A hand waved across my blurred vision. I refocused my eyes immediately.

"You ok?" Naruto asked me slightly nervous.

"Huh?…uh, yea, I'm fine." I shook my head as my chair landed on all fours on the classroom tiled floor. I stood up and walked to the other side of the room and leaned against the window pane and gazed out towards the mountains. The sky is beautiful today, a forget-me-not blue dotted with beautifully white and fluffy cumulonimbus clouds with a few wispy clouds here and there, which means rain in three to four days, great. I can't help but feel as if my life is like the rain, falling from the heavens, forgotten, only to come crashing down onto the Earth below, making a mess out of everything it touches, yet in it's own right, it illuminates everything around it beautifully, creates smiles and playfulness, and even rainbows with the help of the sun. My life was like the former, I don't create smiles or anything of the sort.

I felt as if I was being watched, what do they want now? I turned slightly to see Hideki looking at me while whispering something to Neji who in turn whispered something back. I rolled my eyes, I was already sick of school and it's only been one day for me so far. I pushed away from the window sill. I moved slowly, almost languidly towards Hideki and Neji.

I stopped a few dangerous steps in front of them and grabbed a chair flipping it around so that it faced them, and sat on it.

"Can I join this conversation? When it's painstakingly obvious it's about me." I switched my gaze from Neji's passive face to Hideki's blushing one. I sighed, I don't feel like bothering anymore. I stood up and put the chair back. Hideki went to say something but Sasuke interrupted him,

"What four-eyes is trying to get at is that he likes you, he's just a dork you see, he can't speak up for himself." I heard him chuckle. I don't know why but that made my normally uncaring blood boil, I've had enough already.

"If you would give him a chance to speak, he probably would, and why do you categorize people like that? Are you that self conscious that you have to do shit like that? If he wants to ask me something, let him do it. Unless you have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut, they say the empty can rattles the most." my back was turned to him and I could hear the chair legs scrapping against the tiled floor. I hear his feet shuffle along the same floor until he comes to a stop about three or four feet behind me.

"Is there something you've got to say to me?" He sneers in my ear, suddenly next to me. I turn my body slightly, to give him the idea that I wasn't going to be messed with.

"You don't have to be a jack-ass." I state, simply put…right? His sneer changes to a glare that would have most people shaking.

"Just remember who you're talking to next time, okay, princess?" he emphasizes the word princess with a 'pop' to the letter 'p'. I roll my eyes and stare directly ahead into the staff parking lot out front of the building.

I sigh as the bell rings and we move towards the door as if the routine is circuited into us. The sudden rush of cold air chills me to the bone. The air is colder to me than it is anybody else, I am sure. I sigh and plop myself on the edge of the steps and lean my head back. My head hit's the cold granite beneath it and I drift away into a daydream, much too far away for my liking.

How long had I been sitting on that concrete slab in front of the school, I do not know; long enough to catch some attention however. My bleary eyes open slowly as a hand shakes my shoulder, sending vibrations throughout my body. I blink slowly, clearing the sleep from my clouded eyes. My body protests as I get up and turn around to see who it is that had awakened me. I blink slowly, yet again as I realize it's Kakashi Hatake, my English teacher…I don't have English until tomorrow though…?

He continues to gaze at me expectantly. I can't help it as I get slightly aggravated,

"Why did you disturb my sleep?" I speak in a monotone voice no matter how annoyed that I am on the inside. He leans back a little and I hear his knee pop in protest. "Well you see, it is unusual to find children sleeping on the ground outside of a High School…" he continues to stare but not at me this time, he focuses his eyes on a brick above my head. I roll my eyes, this guy really is making no sense, teachers aren't suppose to care about students, not out of school hours anyways.

"What's the concern for? You're not being paid right now." I felt kinda bad as the words seemed to have hurt his feelings, I didn't really want to hurt his feelings. His eyes seemed to take on a overcast, almost depressed look. I sigh and my arms cross over my chest and I cock my left leg out a little and lean all of my weight on the right one.

"I just don't want to see one of my students get hurt, there are a lot of rapists and muggers out there." he mumbles almost seemingly to himself, if I hadn't been able to hear every word I would've thought that it was a private conversation to himself.

"It's okay…I didn't meant to come across as…harsh." I guess that's my way of apologizing. His expression changes to a more lighthearted than before. There is no sense in pissing off your English teacher before you even get to have him as a teacher…

"Do you need a ride home?" he asks his voice back to a monotone, not very unlike my own. I look him up and down and stare suspiciously at his jeans and button-down shirt and old dress shoes, the backpack dangling off of his slender frame as if it weighed nothing. His masked face displayed nonchalance as he awaits my response. He's not bad looking, quite handsome if I may say so while nobody can hear me.

"I don't think that you're allowed to do that…being a teacher and all." I speak softly, I only said it because I don't want my teacher knowing that I don't have a place for him to drop me off at. I bow my head towards the ground and my pink bangs fall into my jade colored eyes, shielding them from his onyx ones.

"Sakura…? That's your name right?" his voice breaks through my thoughts as I glance up hesitantly, of-course he knows my name…he has a class list…and I am the only new person coming into the eleventh grade…

"That'd be me." I say just as quietly as the last sentence spoken by me. He chuckles, a soft harmonious sound I can't help but look back up at him. He doesn't seem to be annoyed by my lack of replies. His gaze is as nonchalant as ever as he speaks

"You're right, I can't technically give you a ride home, but Orochimaru-san is already home, I just don't want you to be walking home in the dark, there's nothing perverted about that, I swear." he even puts his hands in the air as if they were a white flag.

"I…don't have a home." those words had to have been the hardest ones I've ever spoken in a long time. I watch as his bi-colored eyes widen then go back to their original sizes. I'm sure that he thinks I made him look like an asshole, like he's suppose to know that I have nowhere to go to.

"I apologize I had no idea." his voice is an octave lower, and a slight more reserved with a twinge of sympathy. I hate the fact that he is giving his pity to me. I bite back on the venom ready to spill forth from my sealed lips.

"It's okay…I didn't expect you to know." I wince at the sound of my own voice, I sigh and start to trudge past him, and up the school driveway. I don't stop as I hear his footsteps; hurried, and smooth at the same time. I grit my teeth as I wait for him to say something to me. He reaches my side and falls in step with me, man this guy is grating on my nerves, isn't it enough that I had to admit to him that I have nowhere to go and get his pity party?

"I just thought that you would like to have your backpack…you left it back there." his voice sounding so apologetic about nothing makes my anger dissipate as I lurch forwards to get the straps over my shoulders without hurting myself. I keep everything in this thing, my clothes, my toiletries, basically everything but my school crap; that's all in my locker.

"Thank you." I say, in a clipped voice. I just want to leave now, find somewhere to sleep and somewhere to bathe in the morning. An idea pops into my head and makes my body, of it's own accord seemingly strolls back to the main entrance of the building. I feel his gaze boring into my back. I reach my hand out to the cool door handles of the double doors, and pull. Shit! I should've known that they'd be locked, I feel put out as I head back up towards Kakashi to set off to where, I don't know. I never know anymore these days.

"I can open the doors for you." he offers almost quietly as he makes his way towards what could only seem as his car for he pulls out the corresponding key to the door's lock. He opens it slowly and launches his backpack into the backseat, yet again it seems like it weighs nothing. I chew my lower lip, should I have him unlock the door for me? Would it seem odd if I don't come out for a while? What if the other doors are locked as well? I can't remember the last time I've ever been a worrywart, this man seems to have some effect on me, it's like he's too perfect to make the same mistakes as normal humans do, or as I do should I say.

He watches me expectantly, yet again. I sigh, I can't help but reply

"Yes please?" I roll my eyes at how childish I sound.  
_

Tell me what you think! :]

-FH


	2. Chapter 2

**Yooo, thanks for the reviews guys =) I'm back with chapter two, it's still sort of under construction but it's not too bad, so bear with me! Enjoy! And don't forget to tell me what you think =)**

**xxxxxx**

This is ridiculous there is no way he's just going to give me access to the school without waiting for me to come back out or to follow me in. I think to myself as he slowly, almost languidly strides to the doors, slumped, yet graceful. "You know what…just forget about It." my shoes make a funny noise as the barely existing soles slap against the roughly done pavement.

"You know…my classroom has already been cleaned….and there's a couch in the back room." my ears must be deceiving me or something, did he just offer his classroom to me as a bedroom? A slow smile crosses my usual grave face, and I have to stop it before it spreads too far. I turned my face back to its normal state.

"You're joking right?" I turn slightly so he can't see my face completely. The wind is strong today as its course turns towards my face and blows my rosette locks around my face. His shoes make a clip-clap sound on the grooved pavement, he makes it sound so smooth, and I wonder how he does it.

"I don't mind." his voice seems so close, almost tangible. I jam down my instinct to turn around quickly as I feel his breath on my neck. '_He has to be bending down_' I think as I remember just how much taller than me he was when I stood next to him.

My bleak jaded green eyes sweep over my surroundings as my ears close in on the sound of his voice, seeing if I can detect any lies within it. Not even an undertone. Maybe he really doesn't care. Part of me wonders why he would go through so much trouble for somebody like me, somebody who he doesn't even know.

"The locker room is never locked either." he states this as if he knew my whole game plan all along. This enigmatic man…he just may give me a run for my money. I turn and let the smallest smile spread across my features as I looked into his light gray eye that had a hint of aloofness in its depths.

"Thank you, I'll have to take you up on that offer." His slow smile spreads out underneath his mask, even though the material is obscuring, I can picture his face. His smile contaminates me, and I've only just met the man…maybe I need some sleep. His hand reaches out, palm upwards with something silver glinting in the setting sun, when had it gotten so late? I think almost aloud. His eye never leaves mine as I snatch the keys out of his open hand.

"I…" I don't know what to say as the last rays of the sun scatter across the pavement at our feet making it seem as if they are playing. The silence swallows me as I choke on words of appreciation, I'm not use to this, I think to myself. Nobody ever gave me a helping hand when I lost it all.

"You're welcome." his voice is far away, and my head snaps out of its daze as I see him open his car door. He's looking straight at me and I make an effort to smile back. My mind draws a blank. My arm mechanically waves goodbye as he cruises out of the teacher parking lot in the front of the building.

I walk down the main hallway by the Guidance, Main and Attendance offices. I peek into the Guidance office's smudged window, nobody's in here. Take a left, my memory seems to be guiding me as I take in the paintings on the walls. I stop in front of an interesting one. My eyes gaze up into the shattered window of the painting. In the painting, there is a window that portrays the perfect kind of day, sunny, clear crystal blue skies with a few puffy clouds here and there and the mountains. In the middle of the painting, a crack runs through the middle and a chunk of the glass has fallen away and shatters into many other pieces on the ground; where the hole is, it's night time, the exact mirror of the daytime scene, just black.

I look to see down the rest of the hallway,

"So much for memory I've gone the wrong way." I say perplexed as a huff of indignation slips from between my lips. Kakashi-sensei's room is down the other way. Before I could stop myself, my hand hits my forehead and slides down, today is not my day. It feels as if I am being watched, and an unheeded shiver runs down my spine as I remember that there are cameras everywhere in the school, great…just great.

The tops of the walls in the hallways are stripped in colors of different universities, Harvard's colors winds its way around the walls that I walk in. I avert my gaze to the dirty tiled floors as a janitor passes me by, not a word is spoken. My head lifts back up as my eyes scan the rows of graphitized lockers. A row of blue lockers gave way to a row of yellowish gold ones. Rust ran throughout most of them, tells you how much of a dump this school is. My feet turn to make a left on the final stretch of hallway before Kakashi-sensei's room. The dirty library windows display the book picks of the week. My body stops of its own accord.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan! What are you doing here after school hours?" automatically, my eyes roll, damn how does he always seem to have that effect on me? Naruto slings his arm across my shoulders and leans some of his weight on me.

"You know for such a beanpole, you weigh an awful lot." Naruto is one of my best-friends; he's always been there for me, no matter what, even though he's always seemed to have a crush on me. Now he's with Hinata Hyuuga, about time he realized that she was madly in love with him. A slow smile crosses my mouth as he fires off his own rebuke

"This, Sakura-chan", he flexes his right arm muscles and a wolfish grin spreads apart his cheeks "Is pure muscle, that's what weighs so much." a wink finishes off his statement.

"I take the weight comment back, it's all your head." the smile slides off his face to be replaced by a mock frown. The corners of my eyes tighten as my smile grows wider. His frown transforms into a pout as his arm slips off of my shoulder and joins his other one in crossing over his muscular chest. I don't pay attention to him when he's acting all 'pity' me. He realizes that I'm not buying it and starts walking in the other direction, I didn't hurt his feelings…did I?

"I gotta go Sakura-chan." he doesn't sound disappointed or angry…urgent, actually. I learned a long time ago, not to question Naruto Uzumaki. There is something about us human beings that makes us so flawed, we may not know it but we could be seconds away from death, yet in the back of our minds we don't care. Sometimes I wish that this would just hurry up for me. I worry so much.

"Ou-what the fuck?" I rub my nose as I realize, I had run into Kakashi-sensei's door, how do I know this? Well it says "Kakashi Hatake, English" on the sign next to the door.

"Damn that hurt." I insert the key given to me by Kakashi and a series of clicks signifies the opening of the door. I push easily on the door; the carpeted floor is nearly threaded bare. Automatically my eyes search for anything really memorable about the room, a few desks were pushed against the far right wall of the room with a big sign saying "Graphitized by students, please remove." I don't understand the sense of that…all of the desks have writing all over them. I shake my head as I make my way towards the hallway in the back of the room, leading to the room Kakashi-sensei had inadvertently given to me.

Unbelievably the walls are about as white as they were when they were first installed, I can't help it as I revel in my shadow dancing about on the closed door of the backroom. All of a sudden I feel a sense of hominess, like I actually have a place to call my own…I know that this room isn't mine…it just feels like it could be mine. I lightly push on the door while turning the knob with my other hand and enter. The carpet in the room is much newer than the one in the actual classroom. The walls are white, of course. A counter with a sink is against the far wall, with an overhanging microwave, next to a fridge that I assume is where Kakashi-sensei keeps his lunches and so on and so forth.

Lastly, there is a couch against the wall to the left of the door; it's one of those really big comfortable ones. I let my backpack slip off of my shoulders and down to the carpet next to the couch. I walk around the room a couple of times just to get a feel for it, and end up plopping on the couch unceremoniously and take a deep breath.

"Now all I have to do is get some clothes out of my gym locker (where I keep most of them) and some necessities and I'm off to the shower." I speak aloud to myself all the time. I slip out of the room quietly as if somebody nearby might be able to hear me. I shuffle across the classroom and peek out the window in the door, I don't see a soul down either way of the hallway, why does Kakashi-sensei's room have to be so dang far from the locker room? I feel like pulling out my hair right now. If I'm caught on video camera and Orochimaru-sensei hasn't left yet…he'll surely see me wandering the hallways still and then I'd get Kakashi-sensei in trouble, which wouldn't be fair considering his hospitality towards me.

I have to go out there no matter what as I think the reasonable part of my brain starts siphoning through my memories to see if I can remember watching Orochimaru-sensei leaving the school grounds. A good three minutes pass before I become too restless to care anyway. The door creaks as it's forced to open inwards, I poke my head out and without thinking about it again, I slip out into the colder hallway and make my way down towards the science wing.

The school is so eerie at this time of night…it's like it's a whole different place. Everything is a lot more peaceful with the extraction of people. It's almost calming, the lack of civilization for a moment. I know that deep down inside I have an almost burning feeling to feel alive, to feel a part of something, something I simply cannot partake in. A sigh slips past my stiff lips as I pass the computer room with its windows looking in on the dark hardware filled space.

I never really took computer class, I can type pretty well, I just never had an interest in taking an actual class where you get a grade for something as mundane as that. My feet take me past the gymnasium next, I hate gym as well, if you aren't good enough in a sport or activity, you are put down and made fun of, or if your gym clothes are 'funny looking'; hence why I only play enough to pass the class, even though Gai-sensei is very pushy when it comes to gym. I roll my eyes at him all the time, it makes him angry, which in return makes me smile.

Just a little bit further and I'll be to the locker room. I try not to stop and focus on any of the paintings that I pass. Some of them were designed with the thought of being able to draw somebody in on mind. I silently curse those designers, trying to steer me off of my path! I stop suddenly in front of the locker room door, and like a paranoid person, look both ways down the hallway and push the door open quickly.

After an extra hard push, the door gives in and groans inward. The door opens to a small foyer with an empty hardware room to the left and the door to the pool to the right, which is no doubt probably locked. The floor beneath my feet is a cold hard concrete, my feet make an annoying slapping sound as I make my way across the little space to the door that inevitably led to the actual locker room. I should've turned on the light while I was standing by the switch, I think to myself as I push open the second door and enter the locker room as silently as concrete and the old door would allow. My hand winds around the wall on the left of the door to flick on the light.

The four foot tall locker rows where bathed in a yellowish golden light, silhouetted by the barest of bulbs in the ceiling. I shuffle across the way. My locker row is all the way to the right of the masses of metal, shaped like lockers to number 241. The lock swings left and right as I accidentally bang my elbow against it. Damnit, why am I so clumsy and dim-witted today? I sigh for the umpteenth time today as I turn the dial on the lock 14-32-2.

I hear the all too familiar click signifying my success. At least something is going right for me right now. I rotate the lock so it can be slipped out of the hole made for it in the locker. I reach my hand into the darkness of my locker and pull out the stack of clothes and start sorting through them. I settled for a pair of dark blue jeans with a T-shirt that says: Keep staring I might to a trick. I throw the rest of my clothes, except for my pajamas which I was going to put on when I was done (The other outfit is for when I change when I wake up tomorrow for school) and headed into the bathroom to go to the back towards the showers.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

I lay on the couch staring up at the drop-ceiling in the back room of Kakashi-sensei's classroom. It really isn't healthy to have one of those in a school like this. What do I care? I guess I don't. I glance at the clock on the microwave only to discover its 10:34 at night, this sucks, I feel like an insomniac. I roll over so I'm facing the back of the couch on the hope that I could possibly fall asleep if I don't have anything to distract my thoughts…if I don't have anything to think about I might be able to peacefully sleep.

XX

_Blood is plentiful as my little legs keep running as I was told to do, get help, gotta get help. I have to help mom and dad! The road won't end; I can see the police station next to the hospital up ahead, and my lungs burn from the strain. Why can't I get to it! I can see it! My mind is restless as I trip and fall on my face. I get back up, there is no time to lie around crying about something, I have to get help…they might still be alive…if only I can get to that damn hospital and police station! There isn't even anybody on the roads! _

"_HELP! HELP ME!" my lungs empty of air as a fist slams into my stomach. I fall to my knees grasping at my chest, dry-heaving. This has to end! I can't stop here! I look up as the buildings and roads fade, I'm back home? What's going on here! I try to scream but my voice isn't coming out of my throat._

_ The person in front of me sneers, eyes glowing evilly. _

_ "What are you doing? Don't you want to save your pathetic family?" the hatred in the spat words is enough to devour my soul and cripple my very being. My knees are shaky as I attempt to stand. Suddenly the stranger disappears. _

_ "Where did you go! Who are you!" no answer only an echo. I fall to my knees sobbing in despair, all I see is darkness and all I can hear is echoes of untold pain. Darkness fades to red as my dad reaches for me _

_ "Sa-ku-ra…get…help." my eyes tear up and my faces scrunches as the tears fall down_

_ "Dad…I'm sorry." I'm on my feet as I keep running, running away from it all _

"_Sakura? Sakura!"_

"Sakura! Wake up!" I shift and fall off of the bed, however, I did not impact with the ground. Kakashi's hand was under my waist hoisting me off of the ground.

"You were having a nightmare." I nearly snarl as I try to extract myself from his hold he didn't fight me as I slipped out and hit the ground. I stood up sharply and turned to look at him then at the clock and back again.

"School started forever ago." an undertone of anger tracing my words. He just stares blankly at me. What a jerk. He couldn't wake me up earlier?

"I'm sorry…I just realized that you were still back here, I thought you were already up." my eyes narrow, for some reason I have a feeling he's lying. I don't voice this aloud however. I just grabbed my outfit for the day and give him a skeptical look.

"I get it…I'm lost!" his arms rise in an effort to show his surrender to my unspoken command. The click of the door resounded throughout the room.

As I slip on the pants and grab the shirt, the door opens. I turn to see Kakashi-sensei standing in the door way looking directly at me.

"I came in here to get my lunch out of the refrigerator." That's it? He doesn't say 'sorry'? My inner voice snarls.

"Go away." I mumble nearly incoherently. Kakashi-sensei's head pops out of the refrigerator with lunch in hand and gives me a scornful look. What's his problem? Does he think I was talking to him?

"I wasn't talking to you…" I say quickly as to avoid any conflict. The skeptical look he gave me next was almost worse than the scornful one. This is embarrassing almost. I cross my arms over my chest and fix him with the best deadpan I can muster to get my point across, just how stubborn can this man be? I wonder. I break my stare to slip my shirt on above my head and resume it as the hem of the shirt goes over the top of my pants.

"I wasn't talking to you." I repeat in a slower voice, as if he isn't understanding much today. He didn't break his disbelieving look for a second. I'm getting impatient as my foot starts to tap against the carpeted floor. He probably just wants to get a rise out of me. I sigh, I don't bother as I turn and shove my backpack under the couch and start for the brownish red door to the hallway to the classroom. He's probably giving the stare to the back of my head now. I roll my eyes as I make my way out.

"You know, I've met a lot of weird people in my life…but I think you just might take the cake…and the icing." his voice sounds cheerful. I grit my teeth and turn back to give him a fake smile the words burning on the tip of my tongue.

"Thank you for letting me stay here." his smile retracts back to the deadpan as confusion sets in.

"You know I was actually counting on a rebuke on that one." he sounds slightly taken aback, which makes me really smile for the first time in a while.

"I know you were, sensei, that's exactly why I didn't, me saying thank you was my rebuke." the look on his face changes to a goofy like grin. I can see it clearly which makes me realize for the first time since he's walked in the room, he isn't wearing the same mask he was wearing yesterday when I met him. He realizes my gaze has shifted and he shifts as well uncomfortably. I can't turn my gaze away though; his face is so…perfect? He has high cheek-bones and a straight nose with full lips framed by a strong looking chin. The only thing marring his face being the scar that ran vertically down his left cheek. I have the intense urge to trace it, but as soon as the urge came it was squashed down and poofed into dust by me.

However the most entrancing part of his whole physique was his mismatched eyes, he had as well forgone the eye patch. His natural looking gray eye was not unusual; however it was his other one, a light blue one. His gaze is just as intense as his different colored eyes as he walks towards the door behind me with his lunch in his hand.

"It's rude to stare, you know." his voice has an underlying tone of something that I can';t quite put my finger on, I don't want him to think that I'm rude or something, but then again, like my inner always says, since when have I ever cared? This is getting kind of weird. I turn to face him as he stands so close to me.

"I didn't mean to stare, it's that I just realized that you didn't have your mask and eye patch combo on right now…" he doesn't reply but continues his intense gaze into my very soul it seemed. I wonder what he's searching for and what he expects to find. I turn away and my cheeks for the first time in a really long time are tinged in pink.

"I'm sorry." I really meant it.

"Its okay." he seems so lackadaisical about it, I can foresee him getting on my nerves. I smile a forced sort of smile and I beat him out of the door and down the hallway into the classroom. I realize belatedly, yet again that the microwave clock was wrong…and he wasn't eating lunch really, but dinner. I had slept through the whole damn day. That nightmare did seem rather long…I give him another healthy dose of a dirty look.

He freezes midair with his fork halfway to his mouth to look at me with a blank look on his face.

"Do I have something on my face or something?" his smile was knowing with a mix of teasing. I so badly want to call him an asshole to his face, I refrain however. Which of course doesn't give me any satisfaction.

"No, I just can't believe you didn't wake me up at least halfway through the school day! Not to mention that you lied to me that you were getting lunch more like dinner." my voice goes up slightly as I see the smile on his face stay as if set in stone to battle the war of time.

"Sakura…you do realize that today is Saturday?" I look at him with wide eyes and he chuckles as he takes the bite of chicken off of his fork. I narrow my eyes dangerously, he has to be joking…

"Then what are you doing here?" I say with a smirk of my own lighting my features. He doesn't answer right away and continues eating.

"I had paperwork that I had to do and I wanted to check up on you to see if your still alive." he doesn't look at me any longer as he continues to eat. I roll my eyes yet again, it's amazing how much damage ten minutes with this man can seem to do.

"Don't you have a wife to go home to or something?" I can't seem to catch myself fast enough as I try to clamp my mouth shut. I bite my lip thoughtfully waiting for him to snap at me for asking something much too personal…maybe this banter was going too far. He just answered as blankly as his stare is,

"I don't have a wife." my eyes widen and I can feel as if they are going to pop out of the sockets, he actually answered? I look at him as he glances at the memo board next to his head, pretending to read some outdated letter. He must be uncomfortable about this…

"I shouldn't have asked." I don't feel like saying sorry to him again…once a day is enough. I sigh and I can't help but plop down a little extra hard on a nearby desk, I thanked my lucky stars that it didn't break underneath me. It's not that I'm heavy set, that's not it at all, it's just the desks here are really in bad condition.

He finished up his dinner and threw out the remains. I try not to look as my stomach lightly rumbles. He looks up at me as soon as it rumbles again. He smirks yet again and speaks

"Did you want something to eat?"

xxxxxxx

I'm still kind of in the editing stages for this chapter, but I wanted to get it out, enjoy!

Review! :3

-FH


	3. Chapter 3

**Okies, here's the next chapter guys :) I hope you enjoy it! Review and lemme know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (Depressing...just depressing.) **

My eyes study his face. For the first time in a long time, I don't know what to say. My lips feel as if they are glued shut. He raises a perfectly sculpted silver eyebrow. I am not use to his bi-colored irises yet, for a second I'm thrown for a loop.

"Sakura? I asked if you wanted something to eat."

"Umm…"

"Are you okay?" his voice sounds slightly unsure, a perfect match to the look in his eyes.

"I'm fine…it's just…" my voice gives out...why am I tripping over myself here? He only asked me if I'm hungry! I can't respond without unclogging my muddled thoughts first. A sigh escapes my parched lips

"I am hungry…but-" I don't have a chance to finish as he pulls out a bag full of groceries and hands them to me, a smile uplifting the corners of his mouth. Automatically, my hand reaches up to take the bag from his light grasp. The sudden extra weight bogs my arm down. My arm sleeve goes up to reveal a long scar that runs down the outside of my outer right bicep curling at the end of its path to make a shape similar to a hook.

I feel his burning gaze trace the scar over and over again. My teeth clench and my hand curls into a fist. Why the fuck is he just sitting there staring at it? Silence consumes the four walls that seem to move in on us, suffocating me.

"What…" his voice is laced with curiosity with a hint of uncertainty. I close my eyes and take a deep breath

"Kakashi-sensei, maybe it's best if I don't stay in your room any longer." my eyes open as I hand him back the groceries and mechanically I retrace my earlier taken steps to the back room where I had stayed the night before. I gather up my things and shove them into my backpack quickly; there is no need to dwell here any longer. I stand up straight and shoulder the backpack and head back out to the hallway that opens up to the main classroom, not moving until I hear the click of the door in its place. I don't stop walking until I am standing in front of his desk, with him sitting behind it, carefully analyzing my facial features to see what I'm feeling. He's so predictable sometimes.

"Sakura don't-" he is standing now, still behind his desk.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." I keep telling myself to just ignore the look on his face. He looks so…so vulnerable. My mind is made up as I continue on my path out the door and onto the tiled hallway floor. Chair legs are heard scuffling across rug as he pushes it back in his haste out the door after me. I don't pick up my pace any as I hear his first foot hit the tile floor that my own feet are walking on, in the opposite direction then his room.

"Where will you go?" his voice is almost silent, barely above a whisper.

"What does it matter?" I know I sound harsh, but there is no need to get attached to somebody when you've only known them for two days. My footsteps never falter; the one thing from keeping me stopping is the echoes through my empty mind. I wouldn't have it any other way, it's better that my thoughts don't interfere with my decisions right now. Painfully, I realize that he isn't going to say anything further, let alone try to stop me. As despair sinks into my brain, I realize another thing…I wanted him to stop me, I wanted him to put an end to this overwhelming loneliness that is embedded in my very bones. I want to feel like somebody cares…if even as a teacher…just somebody. His voice didn't reach my ears again, nor his footsteps.

XxXxXxXxXx

Trampling feet echo down a deserted, dark alleyway toward the downtown area. Come on! Faster! They'll get you if you don't hurry up! My mind races a mile a minute as my breath comes out in short pants that fogs up my vision as the moisture crystallizes. Keep it up, Haruno, you'll make it! Damnit!

"A dead end, eh? Now why don't you just tell us where yer friend is? That blonde-haired dumbass?" a tall gruesome looking man with pure black hair and yellow teeth sneered from the front of the ensemble. Automatically, my teeth gnash together and my lip pulls back a little, like an animal about to pounce. My feet on their own, separate shoulder-length apart.

"Oh, it looks like we've got a live one, and she won't talk…this is gonna be fun. the same gruesome man speaks his words like poisonous gas polluting the air with its venom. I don't reply as I charge forward, towards the leader. My fist clenches at my side and I'm ready for the worst. A right hook slices through the air and connects perfectly, if I've been good at one thing, it's fighting. Not up against so many people however. I use the momentum from my swing to lean onto my left leg and pivot to kick out with my right, catching the leader in the groin. I don't look for another opening like this one as I run past them all and towards the way from whence I came. The light from the streetlamp on the other side is blocked as a fist comes swinging my way, I dodge to the side, only to be slammed into the wall opposite of the one I was aiming for.

Blood escapes from my lips as I fall to the ground, shit. I lean on my hands and knees and attempt to get up as a knee knocks the wind out of me, slamming my back against the wall again. I have to get back to Naruto's…wait I can't go back yet! If they follow me…they'll find him…shit. I don't register the blows hitting me all over my body, the blood is gushing from my legs, arms, nose, mouth, everywhere it seems. I hear a scuffle from behind the gang and a low predator like voice followed.

"Leave, now." that voice…it's familiar. My eyes begin to close on their own. Don't you dare close on me! Come on! Stay awake! My mind screams out, my eyelids are heavy; they don't listen to a damn word I'm screaming at them. My arms give out and I feel my face bash off of the ground.

"Ouch…" I turn my face so that I can see who dared to try and face a gang to save me. Black shoes, dark blue-faded jeans, a button up white shirt, a mask…and an eye patch, topped off with a silver tuft of hair.

"Kakashi…sensei?" My mind, I can feel it going into overdrive, why is he here?

"Are you okay, Sakura?" his voice is so unreal to me right now, it is welcomed though, as long as it keeps the gang members away.

"I…" My eyes begin closing. A few foul words slip erupt through my mind as the light dims and I pass out.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Slowly, I blink my eyes open; at least they are listening correctly to my brain now. White…that's all I can see. A few whispering voices surround my body and I strain my ears to pick up even a tiny snip of the tail-end of a sentence. A woman, older than myself is speaking.

"She's lucky that the hits she took to the torso didn't damage any of her ribs…and that you saved her when you did." Damage my ribs...Save me? What is she talking about? Images flood through the back of my eyelids and suddenly everything about the night before comes back to me with painful clarity. Along with the memories, comes the pain of the treated wounds. I must be in the hospital. A sigh slips from my lungs up my throat and through my mouth, out between my lips. Kakashi's voice responds to the woman's in a cool and collected tone

"I am very grateful that I found her when I did…and that she doesn't have any extensive injuries." the sound of ruffling clothes as he bowed before the nurse resounded through the room along with her high-heels click-clacking out of the room and the click of the door as it closes. I lay still, I don't feel like answering any of his questions or talking to him right now. I can't play possum forever, it seems though.

"Sakura…I know that you're awake." the sound of his voice isn't angry, yet kind of amused. I can picture his smiling face; it's no doubt a smug like smirk. I allow my eyes to open slowly as to adjust to the overhead light above me, outlining the whole room. My body scoots up as I prop myself into a sitting position with the pillows behind my back. I turn my face towards his body, leaning languidly against the wall next to the visitor's chair.

"Why were you there?" my curiosity burns through my veins, craving his answer, was he just walking down the street randomly and happened upon me?

"No Thank you?" there's that tone of voice, that amused tone, it's beginning to piss me off now, I think that's his aim though, I don't let my aggravation show through.

"Thank you, now will you please answer my question?" if he likes to beat around the bush, I'll cut through it, metaphorically of-course, I don't just go around chopping bushes randomly.

"I was going to a bar downtown, to catch up with one of my old friends…and I found you." his eyes shine with the honesty of his answer and I draw back for the time being, there is still something fishy about his answer.

"I don't like this hospital." I look up at him and see him looking all around the room, from the pale white walls, to the curtain on the other side of the bed, to the small bathroom with the opened shower visible through the open door.

"You don't like hospitals at all, do you?" for some reason, I already knew the answer to that question without having to ask it.

"No I don't." he still doesn't look at me as he speaks, agitating me even further. I still try my hardest not to let it show though, I'm oh so sure that's what he would want from me. I sigh yet again and look out the window above the visitor's chair, next to Kakashi. A peaceful silence ensued, filled with a companionable sense of security that I like.

"Where are you staying?" I stare stupidly at him, his eye finally boring into my own this time. Why do we have to get onto this topic? Can't we just leave it be? My mind whines.

"With Naruto." There's no sense in lying to him, even if I don't think he should have to know in the first place, but what are you going to do? He seems like the persistent type.

"Oh." he pushes off from the wall and walks around the front of the wooden chair and plops within it. His legs split apart, his hands lying upon his knees and his back sunk into the back of the chair with his head tipped backwards, staring blankly up at the ceiling. I know that there is something on his mind, but I do not know him well enough yet to ask him. More silence follows, an uncomfortable one this time though.

"Why did you help me?" I have to know, what is it that compelled him to stop and help? Why didn't he just keep walking to meet up with his friends and have a couple of drinks, and forget about the scene he had passed by? His head lifts up from the back of the chair and he gives me a level look with his one eye that isn't covered.

"Why? Because if I didn't, you'd probably have died." he leans his head back to its previous position and he closes his eye as if in a deep thought. Something tells me that this isn't the case with him…he's hiding something…and I'm afraid to know exactly what that is. I lean back into my pillows once again, ignoring the nagging feeling to pry into his mind. It's better off left alone, Haruno. No matter how much I tell myself this, the nagging feeling still won't go away.

"Not to sound mean…but why are you still here?" I wince slightly on just how mean that really came out. His head picks up again and his eye opens slightly as he looks at me with a dull indifference. Something about the blank stare was different though, it was more meaningful. He stands up, stretching out his joints and muscles, without breaking eye contact. He slinks off towards the door and slowly turns the knob with an air of importance. He must be waiting for me to say something about him leaving.

"Please, wait." I must sound so pathetic right now, but I don't really care.

"I didn't mean it that way…besides, I'm leaving as well." I don't wait for him to even try and stop me from leaving from my bed. My legs swing over the cool metal of the bed's sides and I push off. My feet meet the cool feel of the tile and I relish in the feeling as I head towards the closed closet that I'm assuming contains my clothes. The door creaks open slowly as I gather the clothes up in my arms. I turn to see Kakashi studying me. A calculating look in his eye.

"Are you sure you should be leaving without telling somebody?" he asks as we begin walking down the hallway, I got dressed quickly as to make sure that no nurse made their round towards my room and attempted to make me stay any longer than I wanted too. I dont answer him, it's not like he should be here in the first place Damnit! I take a sharp left and dart out the exit door before he could stop me. While thinking out exactly what day it is today. I walked out of school on Saturday, and then I ran into that gang, if that was last night then…today's Sunday. I rush down Union Street and head towards the top of the hill, past the grocery store, past the court house. My feet slip on the sidewalk in front of the church. I fall, only to catch myself with my arms outstretched on my knees and the world spinning around me. This place…I hate it. I spit to my left, and cock my head to the right to see the church tower above me.

Slowly, one hand and knee after the other I stand up to my full height. My feet carry me towards the ramp leading up to the double doors. Behind them lay a place for all those weary on their feet, or so it's said…like I've said before, I'm Atheist, so what brings me to these double doors? Memories. My hand traces the door handle to the leftmost door and I can already feel the familiar warmth sink into my skin, a warmth for years as a child, I use to go to as a comfort, but in my older, more bitter age, I've come to detest. I push slightly against the barrier pushing it inwards towards its confines. For some unknown reason, my eyes close as if to savor everything I use to cherish, the smell of the soup kitchen, the feel of the warmth on my skin the feel of my feet on solid ground.

What exactly was it that made me Atheist? I can't really say but I believe that a big part of it would be the death of my parents; the only people in the world that I knew that were my family. My eyes flutter open. Monotonously my legs move to take me past the old kitchen and towards the room where the services are held. My hands sweep over the pews tracing the intricate designs embedded within the surfaces of the black colored wood. My mind gets ahead of me and the memories flood over me.

_"Hey Daddy, how come that guy gets to do all of the talking?" I ask a little apprehensive to hear the answer for some reason._

_ "He's the Pastor, he is teaching us the way of the bible, he's qualified for these kind of things, honey." a pout adorns my features as I think of something to say._

_ "Well he sure knows how to talk a lot." the only response I receive is a chuckle from both parents. I hate it when they seem to ignore me. I get up as the service ends and follow my parents to the main room where food is being served. I wander towards the back rooms, the library, the playroom, and the last room in the hallway, the conference room. I saw a couple of my parents friends disappear beyond the threshold of the room so I decide to follow and see what they are doing. _

_ "I don't think that this should be done in a church, have you guys no shame?" a woman's voice says in a disbelieving tone. I stop short and listen next to the closed door and strain my ears to listen closely. A shuffle is heard as a chair is moved across the carpeted floor. _

_ "I don't care where we are, we need to discuss this." a man's deep voice spoke as knuckles are heard being cracked. _

_ "What the Haruno's did to us, they must be paid in kind, they left us and now they are talking to our enemies…who knows what they could be telling them?" a fist was then heard smashing against the tabletop angrily. _

_ "Yes, they must be killed…only Harika and Kurisu, we will leave the little one alone." a few 'yups' and 'sounds good to me' where heard around the table and the door opened, but I was already halfway down the hallway, diving into the playroom. My eyes were closed and my back against the wall facing the wall looking out towards the hallway through the open doorway. I opened my eyes only to see a young man with two light grey eyes was looking down on me and smiling…some sort of warmth in the depths of his eyes…and guilt?_

My hand stops tracing the pews as my mind gets stuck on the image of the friendly, guilt ridden light grey eyed man. That man…he looks so familiar, but my memory is vague after the conversation that I had overheard. His eyes…they are so familiar, the only part of my memory of the stranger is his eyes. They are burned into the back of my eyelids. I stop short and turn as I feel a presence behind me, staring at my back. I turn on my heels and stare silently, why is he here?

"Kakashi?" my voice disbelieving. Is he following me or something?

"What ever happened to the sensei?" he says in a mocking like tone. I can't help but think that him stalking somebody has no effect on his conscious.

"You technically weren't ever my sensei…yet at least." he only nods in affirmation. He continues to walk towards me in a lazy pace his eye trained on mine and for the first time since I met him, something made sense, a light bulb went off in my head as something clicked the puzzle together, or at least a piece of it.

"You...You were that guy…" his light grey eye is undeniable now as I stare into it I feel the past feeling of uneasiness from when I had met him that long time ago creep back over me. What is he going to do? What if he was with that group that had planned on killing my parents? Should I run? A million questions run through my mind and I don't have the time to sort them out, apparently for he is now only ten feet away from me. I will stand my ground, no matter what. My thoughts strengthen my will as I do exactly as I thought, I begin to straighten my posture, I won't let him think he has me scared. That's if he even was with that group from years ago.

"I'm who?" he seems slightly perplexed, I can't tell if it's from being caught, or because he just doesn't know what I'm talking about.

"What do you mean 'I'm who?' You're that guy…that guy that showed up after I overheard that conversation! You seemed so friendly…you…you're with them, aren't you!" my fists ball up at my sides as I fight off the tears. I don't want him to be a part of that group. That would mean that the only reason he's here and has been helping me is so that he can kill me! I know too much probably!

"I did meet you years ago…when you were a young kid…in this church. But I do not know of this group of which you are speaking, the only group I would be a part of is a drinking group with my buddies." his voice strong, determined and…truthful. I have to get out of here! Not before you get some answers! My inner came out for the first time in a long time and I listen to her voice, full of logic and reasoning.

"Then why are you here?" my voice is barely above a whisper, my insides trembling, please let him be a friend…please let him not have anything to do with them…let him not have come here to finish me off or bring me into them!

"I'm here…because-" a sound echoed throughout the church, shaking it's very foundation. Kakashi swiveled around to face where the entrance to the service room is. Another boom is heard as I grab onto Kakashi's sleeve,

"Come on! We've got to get out of here!" I plead with him as I pull him towards the emergency exit next to the baptism stand. He follows me while still staring at the doorway to the room we are currently in. In a rush I slam my open palm against the door of the emergency exit and run out of it, my hand still tightly clasped around Kakashi's wrist. I can hear his feet dragging somewhat behind me and I stop as I get to the top of the hill, next to Naruto's light blue house.

"What…the…hell…was that?" I pant out between each intake of breath. Kakashi doesn't answer but looks off into the sky, his eyes squinting and his body taking on a thinking position.

"I don't know, if I did, I would definitely have told you. To tell you the truth, I really don't want to know what the noises were." I look away from his blank gaze and look up to the doorway that Naruto is now standing in, his clothes all awry and his hair a messed up tuft of yellow on top of his head. His pure blue eyes staring at Kakashi and I in an odd way…almost as if…

"No! It's not like that Naruto! You pervert!" I say as I push away from Kakashi, who is looking just as appalled as myself. It makes something ping in my heart…but I push it away just as quickly as it came.

"I wasn't thinking anything like that Sakura, so who's the pervert now?" he rebukes while raising one of his golden eyebrows a small fox like grin spreading across his handsome features. I grit my teeth and let out a low predatory growl from the back of my throat. Boy, does he know how to push all the wrong buttons!

"I am NOT a pervert!" I shout at him as I stomp my foot on the pavement like a two-year old. This action only makes the smile on his face split open even further. Kakashi stands next to me in awe at me

"Wow Sakura…you really are a pervert." I turn to look at him with a death glare. Naruto backed slowly towards the door ready for bits and pieces of Kakashi to go flying. Instead, to his disappointment to almost being able to see somebody besides himself getting their asses reamed out by me. I just continue to give the silver haired male a disapproving evil glare and walk up the steps to Naruto's house in an angry huff.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto sits on a broken wooden chair across from me just idly picking at the cracked surface of his kitchen table. I sigh and swivel my head back and forth. Naruto had gotten this place very recently. Apparently one of his relatives of whom he'd never heard of left it to him in their will. It's not the best place in the world, but it is a place to live. He can get the bills paid, he has electric, food and water, that's al l he really needs. He was just nice enough to offer the extra room in here to me. I was grateful for it. It's sure as hell better than staying in Kakashi's back room, although it was nice of him to let me use it, even though he could've gotten in trouble if found out…

"Hey Naruto?" I need to know and I need to know now, exactly what were those gang members looking for him for? And, how did they know that I knew him?

"Yea?"

"What do you have to do with gangs?" I know that it doesn't seem like a question to ask somebody, but I have to know what the gangs… reasoning was to go after him.

"I don't have anything to do with gangs." he speaks in the same tone he does when he's telling the absolute truth and needs the person he's talking with to understand that as well. I just nod my head and a companionable silence fills the air, the kind of comforting one, unlike the one I get around Kakashi all of the time. Naruto and I have been friends for a long time…ever since my parents… death; he was always there for me. I never understood how he could understand so much if he was an orphan. He knows nothing of his father or mother…yet it still amazes me on how understanding and wise beyond his years he can be. I mean, of course he has his immature moments, and I like that about him, it definitely breaks the ice or an uncomfortable silence between him and another person.

"I don't think that I'm going to go back to school." Naruto says this as he scratches his chin and looks away from me as if he is ashamed to admit it.

"I think that I'm going to as well…it's just-" Naruto stops me in mid-sentence and I look up at him a shocked expression admonishing my features.

"You won't! You need to stay in school!" he says it in a tone of voice that a father would use while scolding a small child and for a second I am taken aback by his sudden abruptness. I can only reply in a meek voice as I speak

"Fine…I'll stay in school." he nods his head happily, his sudden serious air lifted just as quickly as it came. He whispers to himself as he walks away from, in such a low voice that I had to strain my ears to pick up on it:

"At least Kakashi can protect you there" his voice seems so guilt ridden and it brings tears to my eyes almost as I try to decipher just what he could mean by that. I desperately want to cry out and yell at him so that he knows I'm not helpless and he's not my father! Deep down inside though, I know he's right, I am helpless…and fatherless…but I hope he knows that I don't want Kakashi to be my father…I'm not so sure myself exactly what I want him to be, but I feel safe in his presence more so than I have in anybody's before. It almost scares me…who knows what our relationship could turn out to be? I'm afraid of many things it seems…especially possibilities.

**That's it, guys! Lemme know what you think! I'll try to finish up the next chapter soon :)**

**-FH**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there guys! I'm sorry I'm a bit late with this one, and also I have yet to edit this chappy (er, well proofread, I mean) so I apologize ahead of time :X Otherwise, enjoy! :3 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (T_T)**

The moonlight filters through a window fighting off the impending darkness that unknowingly promises to devour the room in it's black blanket. My heart is beating ever so slowly as my thoughts keep me awake and my world spinning. A grip so tight on a pillow can't keep the visions at bay, no matter how much I wish it to be that way. I toss and turn, just to end up at the same position that I began in. My hands fold behind my head as I gaze up at the shadowed ceiling.

My stare brings my eyes to the full moon outside of my window and I wonder what it feels like to be freefalling through the air. Naruto's words filter through my mind for the hundredth time tonight "At least Kakashi can protect you there."

"What is that suppose to mean Damnit!" my fist impacts with the pillow that my face is smothered in. I roll of the bed silently and creep over to the window.

"Naruto's gonna kill me if he finds out…" I don't care though. He isn't my father…besides I have something that I need to figure out! Otherwise, it's going to kill me until I resolve it.

Naruto sits down on the faded black leather chair and closes his eyes 'I don't know if we are doing it tonight or not.' his lips came together as he blows out forcefully causing a raspberry effect. 'It's not like I can call and double check or something…' he leans forward, his forearms now resting on top of his kneecaps.

'I don't know where he lives…how am I going to find him?' My mind confuses me as I continue to creep along the edge of the property. 'Just a little bit more…' I launch myself over the edge of the fence lining the backyard and dart through the neighboring yards until my feet hit the pavement on the road. A knock shakes Naruto from his daydream. He slowly raises himself to his feet. Down the hallway into the foyer he continues his mini trek towards the front door. The knocks become a little sharper, as the person on the other side gets a streak of impatience.

"Yes?" Naruto asks quietly as not to arouse Sakura from her slumber.

"They need you, they sent me to watch over Sakura." the man says in a calm, yet gruff voice.

"Alright…she's sleeping upstairs right now." the blue eyed male slipped out the door and into the darkness as he whispers,

"Thank you, Kakashi."

XxXxXxXxXxXx

My feet are starting to tire out from the monotonous beat of my feet on the pavement. 'It's no use…I don't know how I was gonna find him…but I can't find him anywhere, not even his car anywhere.' I stop near the gates to Cedar Park Cemetery my knees are slightly spread open as I rest my elbows on my kneecaps. I lean forward slightly and look up towards the sky.

The stars are bright, nearly putting out the silvery crescent. I've always loved the nighttime. There is just so much to revel in. You can tell the stars your deepest darkest secret, and rest in peace, knowing the secret will never get out. A chorus of nearly silent whispers arouse me from my enchantment as my eyes move languidly from the sky to the group walking across the street from me. A group of about six people dwarfed in all black, with hoods covering their identities.

'They're that gang…they are known by many names, they are generally called Hebi, however…'

'Hebi…doesn't that mean s-'

'Correct, Hebi means snake, nobody knows how the name originated, nor where they exactly came from, after a couple of years the number of members within Hebi skyrocketed…'

"Hebi…" I whisper barely audible I fear the day they might hear me utter their name.

"I have to tell Naruto!" with that said, I run off towards the house.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

I dart up the steps and slam through the door while shouting

"Naruto! You'll never guess what I s…aw…" my eyes widen as I see Kakashi sitting on the couch staring at me with a peculiar expression in his lonely grey eye. Peculiar fades to amusement, my face has to be amusing…that would be the only reason for his low chuckle.

"Kakashi…where is Naruto?" I ask hesitantly, all of the worse scenarios running through my mind at once. I begin to pace back and forth in front of the couch Kakashi is seated on. His eye follows my movements freely. I can practically feel his smile as it spreads across his mask less face. I move into his personal bubble and grab the front of his shirt, giving him a death glare that wipes the smirk right off of his face.

"What the fuck did you do to Naruto!" I snarl as my fist curls tighter around the black fabric of his undershirt. His face is indifferent as I grit my teeth.

"I didn't do anything to him." his normal calm demeanor returning as quickly as it had left. My fist begins to tremble as the anger and paranoia creep up on the edges of my mind.

"Then where is he?" I say as calmly as I can without hitting him.

"I'm not at liberty to say…he asked me to watch over you…although I can tell you weren't sleeping like he thought." my eyes narrow. I let him go regardless. I turn and tromp my way to the stairs.

"Is there something you needed?" his voice freezes me before my foot can hit the bottom step.

"No." I respond in the same monotone as him as I step onto the stairs and begin to climb.

"It sounded pretty serious the way you were screaming for Naruto."

will he just drop it!

Doesn't seem like it

I sigh, it seems that my inner is right for once.

"It isn't that serious. I was just…excited…that's all." I never was a good liar. My face always scrunches up in this odd, deformed like way and my eyes turn a shade of guilt. My grip tightens on the banister as I hope he doesn't catch onto my white lie.

"Why don't I believe you?" he says, harmlessly.

"Did I say you needed to? Good night." I say harshly as I run up the rest of the stairs and into my bedroom. I slam the door and crash onto the twin sized bed, and so I begin the process over again. I'm never going to get any sleep. My eyes wander as the clock ticks the seconds by, ticks my life away. On auto, I slip into a state of calculation. Where is Naruto? And why is Kakashi the one who is here…what exactly did Naruto mean when he said at least Kakashi could protect me? Something's fishy here. I will get to the bottom of it, no matter how long it takes!

I flop back onto my back and stare at the ceiling again as my arms fold behind my head. The methodic ticking of the clock isn't even enough to coax me into a shallow sleep tonight. There is just too much clogging my usual blank mind. At the forefront, those black cloaked figures moving so silently through the black of the night, keeping to the shadows. For some reason, it all keeps nagging at my memory…there is some sort of connection between me and Hebi.

Kakashi stands with his back to the wall on the opposite side of the stove in the kitchen, the wall in front of the staircase. His hands are full with a cup of coffee in one hand and his book in the other. After reading the same line four times in a row he decides to put the book back into his back pocket, from whence it came. He leans his head back until it hit's the wall behind him. She knows something…I wonder what it is…I have a feeling that it's something about Hebi. His fingers come up to massage his temples, this woman is going to be the death of him.

No matter how many sheep I count, my mind won't rest, so I can't. This is so damn frustrating! With a dignified huff I fling the covers off of my body and step out of the warm cocoon. In a spare moment of anal ness I quickly make up the bed and head out the door silently. I might as well talk with Kakashi I guess…considering he's the only one here right now. My feet are hot compared to the icy feeling of the hard wood floors throughout the house. I stop at the top of the stairs and grip onto the banister in anticipation, should I just go down? Will he yell at me? Who cares? Point taken.

"Are we feeling better now?" his smile settles me a little like a kid I glower although his presence reassures me somewhat. I slump my shoulders forward as I move towards the opposite chair facing him. A scowl crosses my features as the smile remains on his somewhat passive face.

"I guess so." I grumble, not to keen on having a conversation about my muddled feelings right now. The room filled with silence and the tension of unspoken words. I fidget in my seat as I hear the beginnings of rain pitter patter against the window pane, causing an eerie effect throughout the house.

"What's bothering you, Sakura?" his voice breaks my trance and I'm forced to look him in the eyes.

"Nothing." My straight face must have been unbelievable because he kept on pushing me

"I know your lying, you can talk to me you know." my eyes roll and I can't stop myself from giving off an irritable huff.

"What does it matter to you?" I grow tired of this harsh banter but I can't just come right out and ask him such personal questions…can I?

"Ouch, Sakura that hurt." his hand closes around his heart as he feigns hurt. The face he makes forces me to laugh somewhat as I can't help but think, the puppy dog face was made for him.

"Nothings wrong, Kakashi, really." I try my serious 'believe me please' face and it seems to work, for he drops the conversation. It grows quiet and yet again I find myself drifting off in the sense of security he brings upon my troubled mind and soul. I lean back into the comfy confines of the chair I am seated in and I lean my head against the back of the chair and my eyes wander aimlessly across the pale bleakness of the room.

"Sakura, what did you want to tell Naruto?" so he wants to come at me with a different version of the same question? It's not like he really knows that that's what was bothering me…

"I just saw something that might interest him outside…that's all." I can't help but almost slapping myself across the forehead at how crappy my lying skills are. Kakashi's chuckle is a surprise to my ear, even though he is laughing at me, it sounds so endearing to me.

"You'll end up blowing your own spot up if you talk to him, ya know." he says this with an air of hilarity to it.

"What do you mean?" I am baffled as to what he could possibly mean. His left eyebrow raises as mirth fills his eyes and he just shakes his head rather than answer my question. All of a sudden a light bulb goes off in my head like a stick of dynamite and I can't help but chuckle like he was doing before at my own stupidity.

"Your right…he thinks that I was here the whole time…sleeping." the slow smile that spreads across his face makes me want to smack it off as soon as it had come.

"Bingo." the simple word makes a slow burning anger kindle to life. He is so…grr…

"Your just trying to get what I saw out of me." my eyes narrow dangerously as the smile turns into a grin and I feel like tearing his head off.

"Wow, you are much smarter than I thought at first glance." oh goodness he knows how to push all of the wrong buttons, doesn't he?

"I could say the same for you, but I have yet to see the intelligence shine through." My teeth clench as I give off my own smirk of satisfaction. His grin remains which frustrates me to no end.

"That hurts, your not very aware of peoples emotions, are you, Sakura-chan?" his grin turns to a cocky, lopsided smile as I can practically feel steam coming out of my ears.

"Your right, Kakashi-san, I am a complete sociopath." his eyes narrow and I can't help but smirk in the same way he just had.

"You are a very sarcastic young one, aren't you?" he states slowly, his feathers miffed a bit seemingly. I don't reply, the look on my face should suffice him enough. Although, I wasn't expecting the next question

"Where did you get that scar on your right arm?"

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto rushes through the entanglement of the crowd, looking for the one person who was a part of his orders. The smell of body odor rises up from the depths of the mass bodies, swaying together in tune with the music, the rain doesn't make it smell any better. A mosh pit is growing bigger to his left, but he doesn't seem to care as his deep blue eyes, cold with the monotony of his mission dulling their shine as he continues to search. An idiot jumps into the crowd, attempting to surf the masses. The intense urge to smash his head into a wall is stuffed deep inside the blonde haired teenager.

If I don't hurry up…they won't be here anymore, Damnit. His fists clench and unclench as the urge returns. A young male slips past him, out towards the exit, a young male about his height, black hair, steel blue eyes and the physique of a beanpole. Found him.

"Hey man, I'm going to head home, before this storm gets any worse." the black haired man, Naruto's target murmurs to his buddy who followed him out of the concert.

"Alright, take care of yourself man, there have been a lot of murders around your area lately." the other young man waves goodbye while running back towards the concert to have a good time.

Naruto is the unnamed man's shadow as he follows him down the street seamlessly, not a trace of a stalker or follower left in his wake, whether this was the doing of the weather of just his stealth skills, he didn't care, as long as he isn't detected before his target is out of the public eye. He almost feels bad for the unsuspecting guy, orders are orders. He knows in his heart, that if he disobeys any of the orders he is given…things worse than his death could ensue. The man takes a turn towards an alleyway and Naruto closes in on him from behind. He no longer cares to mask his footsteps or appearance. The figure, as expected turns around and turns as pale as a ghost.

"Who…who are you!" the look of fear in his eyes rips through Naruto's very soul, a burning guilt that will haunt him forever. This is the first time he has let himself be seen by a victim. Naruto doesn't answer his previously asked question as he advances on the shaking figure. The fear in his eyes grow as does the burning pain in Naruto.

"I'm the one who was sent to eliminate you." Naruto's voice comes out unbelievably cold, after a while of practice, it happens.

"E..eliminate?" he does what most do, turn and run. Naruto sighs and grabs the back of the poor boys shirt. The smell of blood stains the night air and the teen's hands. The pounding rain runs red, covering Naruto's hands even further, making the lump in his throat grow bigger and he was sure if you were to look at him from the side, it'd be protruding.

"No amount of washing will ever get you clean." Naruto, barely whispering, speaks to his hands. Not even a last glance is given as the teen disappears from the alleyway, gliding through the shadows towards headquarters.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"Did you kill him?" The boss asks. Naruto ignores him as his thoughts try and scream outside of his head: Of course I did! I did what you scum are too afraid to do yourselves! Rage has been smothered in him for quite a long time now, how can they just sit here and order me and others like me around? Why can't they get their hands dirty? His insides are still buried within those flames.

"Yes." no need to get snappy with the boss…he'll just kill me…that's right, I'll play a good little boy, just to protect what I love. No need to get ahead of myself…I'll kill him in time, I will be his downfall, I'll make sure of it.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

His eyes already know everything they could ever fathom, it seems. Yet he wants to be inquisitive towards me. My lower lip is caught between my teeth, a habit that is so recently developed, yet so hard to break, around him that is. I try not to think about how I got it, because along with that thought, comes the memory, the memory of losing everything I've ever held dear to me. It's the only memory that is crystal clear to me from my childhood. The innocence of the young has blocked out, or blurred the other remnants of my past to my minds eye. My brow furrows, this is perplexing, I don't want to answer truthfully, but the pained expression in his eyes…it's almost as if…impossible, don't even think it Sakura!

"I don't think it's relevant to anything." my eyes avert his own of their own violation as if they knew my thoughts before I did. If a pin were to drop, it would not only be heard, but it would echo throughout the dwelling. Not a sound was heard, just Kakashi and my own breathing…and the rain.

"Hm." a one sounded answer, not even one worded. My ears prick at this as if they are on fire. Maybe he'll finally leave me alone then. A creak of a chair, a shift of a couch cushion and I nearly jump out of my skin as Kakashi's face is grave looking, staring me in the face. The rain echoing through my body as his teeth grit and he walks away, just walks away.

"I was eight years old." his footsteps grow slow and stop at the edge of the living room carpet. His face is indifferent as he walks back towards the couch, seemingly satisfied that he's finally getting something out of me.

"I was branded…by some guys from this gang…" suddenly I feel cold, it's been so long that I can hardly remember the details.

"Branded?" the shocked question hangs in the air as I gather my wits, trying to piece together a broken mirror.

"Yea…they gave me this scar…to remind me that they haven't finished their job yet." my voice is hollow as I avoid his shocked gaze. A strike of lightning lights up his mask less face and casts shadows under his eyes, making him look old and tired.

"To remind you…" He doesn't seem to like this at all…not that I really expected him to like it…I just didn't expect this kind of a reaction from him

"Yea." the awkward silence is one of the worst ones of my life. I usually don't talk about any part of my past. For some reason…I just feel that he has a right to know.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto walks down the sidewalk towards his inherited house. The hot guilt has cooled down to a simmering pain of remembrance, like it always does after he takes out orders. The rain crashes around him like lead bullets as his feet trudge methodically slapping wetly against the worn down concrete. The darkness surrounding him taking him in for all he's worth. The streetlights don't have enough light to chase away the burdens he's forced to carry. A flash of lightning sets the world before the troubled young mans eyes on fire. Naruto counts as he waits for the coming thunder. Before he could reach ten, a boom echoed throughout the sky and the world below it. Naruto's own chest echoed with the boom.

Through the thunder, lightning and rain, Naruto spots a flashing red and blue light headed up the street from him. That was really quick, it's time to disappear before they get the idea to question me. Naruto's sneakers speed up as he bolts down the side walked hill towards the bottom, he always hates when he has to run from them. A police car is following him down the hill with the sirens blazing, setting the rainy landscape on fire. Adrenaline burns through Naruto's veins, all the way down to his legs as he pumps out as much energy into them as he can. The rain blocks his vision, he only sees three feet in front of him and that's all he needs as he turns the opposite way than his house on Warren St.

Shit, shit, shit, I'm not gonna make it! I don't think I'm gonna make it! his feet pound faster, at a more relentless rate his heart beat right up there with them. The rain puddles at the edge of the roads, making floods onto the sidewalks and roads. Cars were going by at their usual rates, not even bothering to look up at Naruto as he ran through the heavy downpour. I'm almost at the docks…I don't have any other place to turn if I don't shake them off before then. Thank god they can't see my face through this rain…damn me for wearing bright orange today, I must be a beacon in the night!

The docks bobbed into view as a blaze of orange and yellow runs past the train station and over the fencing to the docks. Naruto ducks behind the fencing and sits down with his back to the railing below the fence so he is out of sight. The wooden pallet floating in the river bobbing up and down on the waves created by the storm, somewhere deep inside, Naruto wishes it would just carry him away…far, far away.

The sirens stop at the docking pier, Naruto holds his breath quietly hoping they would pass him on by. His blue eyes pointed upwards and his knees up to his chest. The cops poke their heads around the fencing to look on the wooden part of the pier.

"He must not be here." the chubby one said to his partner

"I could've sworn he was around here…we'll just have to call it a day." the chubby one agreed with his friend

"Besides, this storms too much to be searching in." with that their departing footsteps were heaven to the teen's ears. Naruto slumped forward, his knees drawn up to his chest and his chin resting on his kneecaps. In that position, he let the tears stream down his face, mixing with the rain, that way nobody can see.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

My eyes crack open slightly and my hands automatically stretch out to feel my way around the area. Where am I?…when did I fall asleep? A yawn escaped from my parched lips and my back arched, cracks sounding up and down my spine. A door creaked somewhere downstairs and voices were heard from the front door, drifting up in bare whispers to my ears.

"She's still sleeping." Kakashi's voice, I recognized automatically spoke in a rushed sort of tone

"I guess that's good…did she wake up last night?" Naruto's voice this time, spoke in a hushed tone.

"I think the proper question is if she ever went to sleep." Kakashi's not gonna rat me out is he? Naruto will kill me if he knows I was wandering around the city at night!

"She couldn't sleep…so she just stayed up and kept me company." a feeling of relief spreads throughout my body, loosening up all of the tenseness in me.

"I guess I'll go up and get her so she can get to school on time." footsteps coming up the stairs makes me jump back into the bed and close my eyes, assuming the sleeping position. I hear the door crack open slowly almost soundlessly. A foot steps onto the hardwood floor next to my dresser.

"Sakura-chan…it's six in the morning, time to get up for school." he whispers softly while shaking my shoulder just as gently. My eyes crack open slightly as I try to look like I had just woken up that moment

"Mmm…okay…." I go to get out of the bed and catch myself, I slow down my pace to make it seem I'm still sleepy.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

I get dressed quickly and tramp down the stairs slowly. My usual indifference swallowing me whole yet again. I don't even flinch when Kakashi comes out from behind the staircase wall going 'Boo!' I know he's just trying to lighten up my mood. How is he suppose to know that I had nothing but nightmares last night? I give him a pity laugh that makes him narrow his eyes dangerously. I roll my own at his antics, he is acting childish today.

"I'll see you at school." I mumble as I exit the house and get onto the wet streets. The rain really did a number on this crappy city. I sidestep as many puddles as I can. I hear a honk behind me halfway down the street. I turn to give the asshole who's making so much noise at this hour a piece of my mind. I stop in my going to be rant when I realize it's Kakashi. He smiles and waves as he passes me and splashes a puddle up next to me, just missing my pants. Asshole.

Three quarters of the way to the school the sun comes out from behind the clouds to smother me in it's warm rays. Although I can plainly see the golden light shining off of my hands and arms, I do not feel the warmth. Absentmindedly I continue on in my walk, replaying my nightmares in my head as a movie replays a scene of a tragedy on repeat. My head begins to ache as I turn down the sidewalk to the entrance of the school.

I ignore all of the shouts that are in my general direction. I don't have the patience to deal with anybody right now. I don't even want to be in school right now. I open one of the double doors and enter the foyer of the Administrative part of the building. Shizune is sitting behind the Attendance desk typing away on the computer while shouting at random kids running past her post.

"Oh hey Sakura-chan!" she smiles so kindly as I walk up to the desk. Her eyes soften, and her smile has a certain familiarity behind it; as soon as the feeling came it went. I shake my head in a negative fashion to clear my head somewhat.

"Hello Shizune-san, how're you doing today?" I can, unbelievably still keep up basic conversation.

"I'm doing fine, thank you." I plaster a fake smile onto my face and slip away from the desk, walking fast towards the hallway towards my first period class: Math.

"It's nice to see such lively young ones…" Asuma-sensei spoke in a sarcastic smooth voice. I can't blame him, with the class we have, it's hard to get anything done it seems. Nobody has any respect while the teachers are trying to do their jobs. I stare at the chalk board already solving the problems written on the dark surface. A stinging pain ebbs on the side of my head as a rubber band connects. I don't even bother to get riled up, if they want to be assholes, let them be so. I hear snickering coming from Sasuke's side of the room, no wonder, I don't doubt for a second it was the Uchiha's doing.

"That's enough! I'm not going to lose any sleep if you guys are stuck here with me again next year!" Asuma-sensei says in an aggravated tone. The room gets silent as he turns his back again to gather up the graded work to be handed back. The silence is shattered as somebody opens the creaking door.

"Naruto! You're late!" a kid a couple of rows down from me screams while pointing his finger.

"Inuzuka! Keep your finger down, and please refrain from shouting in this classroom!" Kiba slumped down into his chair, his cheeks a light red in color. Chouji snickered next to him as he snuck another potato chip from the bag under his desk.

"Uh…sorry Sensei." Naruto says politely as he makes his way around the front of the room to the sit in front of me. My eyes narrow in suspicion. Didn't he say that he wasn't going to bother going to school anymore? What's up with him all of a sudden!

"Hey Sakura-chan…" he whispers discreetly over his shoulder to me.

"What are you doing here Naruto?" I whisper back in an aggravated term, nothing is making sense to me anymore right now.

"I decided that you were right, I'm not your father and it's not right for you to have to go to school and me not to." the smile he cracks over his shoulder has me wondering just what else lies underneath that half-assed reasoning of his. That smile…he's up to something else besides education here…I don't know what it is though…yet.

"I have English next!" I say slightly dreading it.

"So do I." Naruto states as he walks beside me down the hallway towards Kakashi's room with a smile alighting his features as usual.

"At least I won't be stuck with all idiots then." I crack a genuine grin towards him as I wiggle my eyebrows and elbow him playfully in the ribs. His returning grin makes me smile slightly, maybe this school thing isn't going to be to bad after all…

I sit in front of the projector, behind Naruto…the row nearest to Kakashi's desk. The projector whizzes behind me, creating a blowing of heat from the ass end of the machine. It smells…

"And that's it for the notes! Make sure to put down the page number that you left off on!" he doesn't ever seem enthusiastic about anything…does he? Not job wise anyways. He walks around the room collecting the note pages from the kids. As he gets to me and Naruto he slows down and nods towards Naruto with a look of knowing in his eye. As he collects my own paper, he winks with a playful look in his gleaming orb. I narrow my own eyes, there definitely is something behind this all with both him and Naruto…

My headache is now ebbing down to a dull thudding in time with my heartbeat. The nightmares are still on repeat, but have become fuzzy like an old memory.

The desk behind me smashes into the back of my seat. I swirl around, this has got to be the hundredth time this has happened! Behind me Lee was spewing at the mouth

"Sakura-chani'msosorryididn'tmeanto-"

"Lee…it's okay." I say tightly, anything to get the mini-Gai to shut up. His relieved smile leaks onto his face with an air of relaxedness.

"Sakura, turn around" I gnash my teeth together as my legs swing back to their previous position underneath my desk, the chair groaning in protest in it's old age. Naruto's chuckles reach my ear and I smash his seat into the one in front of him.

"N-Naruto-kun…c-can you p-please…not do t-that?" Hinata Hyuuga stutters over her shoulder towards Naruto, whom now has a scowl on his face.

"That wasn't me Hinata! That was Sakura-chan!" his voice came out slightly high-pitched and whiney.

"Was Not!" I lie, childishly.

"Was Too!" he rebukes, even more childishly

"Was Not!" I get louder as I speak to the back of the belligerent fool's blonde head.

"Was To-"

"Enough!" Kakashi's voice scolds, his voice now a tad gruff as to further single us out. My mind freezes as his voice brings up a fragmented part of a long forgotten memory…

_I play with an old tattered doll, moonlight interrupted by pelting rain playing an illusion on my young eyes; making the doll seem new and pale. Shouts echo up from the street, loud enough to counterattack the echoing boom of the thunder and the thickness of my bedroom window._

_"I refuse to do this!" a young, teenage sounding voice shouted over the boom of thunder and pelting of rain to an unknown person._

_"You have to do this!" an older, slightly raspy voice shouted back at the younger teenage man._

_"Why! Since when do I have to listen to you!" the younger voice screams an edge of desperation to it's tone making the younger voice seem even younger._

_"It's not my orders, it's the boss'." the older voice said with an air of finality about it._

_"Besides, your only going to serve as a distraction for me anyways." this didn't seem to soothe the aura about the younger man._

_My heart jumped as I heard a knock sound on the front door downstairs. My father opened the door as I strain to hear what was going on._

_"Who're you?" my father asks slightly surprised. My heart skips a beat as the young voice I had just heard yelling outside responded,_

_"M-my name's K-"_

"Sakura-chan! Helloooo!" Naruto's hand waves in front of my face. The memory slips out of my mind, never to be seen again. I didn't get to hear his name. A scowl sets into my features as I nearly growl at the oblivious goofy grinned blonde. I quelled the intense urge to pound the living shit out of him. I don't know how he could make it this far in his life without getting killed.

"What did you want?" I ask my eyebrow twitching slightly.

"The bell rang…it's time for lunch." He replies without a care in the world. His sort of attitude kind of makes me feel guilty about thinking such violent thoughts towards him…kind of.

"Oh…shall we go then?" I say as cheerfully as I can my smile doesn't cut it though.

"What's wrong?" he asks as we exit the classroom, his eyebrows tightly knitted awaiting my response.

"Nothing." I try again at a more genuine smile

"Besides, you'll get wrinkles at a young age if you worry too much about others." my smile cracked into a genuine grin. This seems to alleviate his worries for a bit for he doesn't bring up the subject anymore. The hallways are nearly empty for we took the long way to the lunchroom. I barely recognize myself taking the seemingly monotonous steps towards my destination…it all seems as if it's a blur, my mind only bothering to focus on the last little bit of my recollection of that memory. Who could it have been? His name starts with a K…the only person I know that name starts with a K is Kakashi…,but it can't be him…who?

Naruto's voice fades into my fog covered mind a little too late as he's now staring at me like I have twenty heads.

"What?" I ask none to politely, I hate it when people stare at me like that!

"I asked if you were going to get lunch?" he says completely unaffected by my sudden outburst…that's Naruto for you.

"Oh…no I'm good…I'm just going to go sit down and reserve a table while you get your lunch." before he can protest I slip under his arm that had been waving in my face none to politely like when he broke my daydreaming. I move towards the back of the Large Cafeteria to the most broke-down looking table that is graphitized to no end. Nobody will bother me if I sit here, at least. I sigh as my elbows prop my head up, my palms cradling my face gently. My mind isn't as blank as it usually is when I'm sitting by myself, although I do wish it would all just fade to black…like it normally does after I wake up on a rainy, dark night after a horrible bout of nightmares…why can't I just be lucky this one time?

Why do I have a feeling that I know that voice! Why do I know that voice! I don't remember ever hearing that older voice after that incident…but the younger one…if you just add a little more gruff to it and make it age slightly it almost sounds as if it's…nah never, couldn't be. I'm just acting stupid because I can't figure this out.

Naruto sits down in front of me, the tables benches both giving a squeal in protest. Nobody seems to notice however, this happens frequently. I glance over at his tray to see what grotesqueness the have made and called edible. My nose wrinkles in distaste, they can't be serious with this shit, can they?

"Mexican Pizza." Naruto says with a certain twinkle to his eyes. I should've known that it wouldn't affect him no matter what it looked like, even if it did look like throw-up on uncooked yeast. I smile back at his childish grin. It's amazing how he can make it seem as if there isn't a care in the world. It gets kind of contagious after a while hanging out with.

"Is it even any good?" I ask idly, a part of me not really caring enough to truly know…I just hate silence.

"It's actually kind of good…I'm gonna give it about a C minus." he chews the piece of food in his mouth as he thinks over the grade.

"Yup definitely only a C minus…definitely nothing better than that." I let out a breathless laugh at this, this kid really is a trip and a half.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

My backpack slumped to the floor, followed by me. I smash my head against the wall behind my head. I have absolutely no energy left, between all of the resurfacing memories and the recurring nightmares I don't know how much longer I can last until I get another break from all of this shit. Something in me shook as I felt the wind whip outside. I look up to see that my window is open…

"I didn't open that…" my eyes widen as I get up slowly and walk towards the window. The curtains are billowing in the chill autumn breeze and I can't help but wrap my arms around myself, I don't remember ever being this chilled to the bone by a steady stream of wind before. My teeth clatter together as my body shakes, I can't even make it all the way to the window. My hand reaches out to shut the nuisance, I catch nothing but air as I stumble forwards landing facedown onto my hardwood floor in my bedroom. I lay here for a minute trying to think how on Earth I could miss a fucking window!

"Today just isn't my day." I sigh into the floor boards as if they can understand my pain. I must've just misjudged the distance from myself to the window…that's all. I groan at the taxing task of standing up and shutting the damn window for good. My feet are tired as I move towards the bathroom to hop in the shower. I strip down and jump in as quickly as I can before the cold air coming from the old broken heating vent in the floor can get to me. The hot water contrasts darkly almost to the cold outside of the shower curtain. It feels good, as if it is melting all of my worries away. I sigh into the water as I finish washing up.

Even though I'm done I don't get out, not yet. I want to relish in the feeling of this so very common thing. I sit Indian style in the bottom of the tub with my back towards the showerhead allowing the stream of water to run down my whole body, through my hair, down my face. I prop my biceps up on my now folded knees, no longer in the Indian style way of sitting. I tilt my head back and let the water hit my face straight on. It reminds me of the rain. Even though at the worst day of my life, it was raining; I still love it. It's just makes everything match my inner world, dull and lifeless…yet it brings forth little bursts of life after it is gone…I guess you can say that lately it's always raining in Sakura-land.

Naruto was waiting on my bed when I got out of the bathroom, fully dressed. He wasn't paying any attention to me as I walked to the edge of my bed and sat down by his feet. I don't say a word, I don't want to break this companionable silence we have established.

"You've been having nightmares again." he doesn't ask, he states. Idly he puts his hands behind his head that is on my pillow, locking them in place.

"Since you seem to already know, there is no reason for me to say anything." I stare out the now closed window and at the sun setting behind the tree-line, coloring the treetops all different shades, setting the sky ablaze like vivid paints splashed on a blank canvas. I turn to lock eyes with Naruto.

"Do you feel like telling me what they are about this time?" he always asks this…we've been friends for so long…and I've always felt as if I could confide in him for anything. This time I want to figure it all out on my own I don't want to burden him anymore with my useless jumbled thoughts.

"No…not this time Naruto, sorry." even though I'm not really sorry about it, it seems as if it fit's the scenario. I lift myself up from the bed and head out into the hallway, without looking back.

"I understand Sakura-chan, just know that I am always here for you if you ever need me." he is looking at the darkening sky as I nod my head, even though he can't see it, I know that he knows my appreciation for all that he has done for me and probably will do for me in the future.

I wander around the kitchen looking for something to eat…maybe I can make some cup ramen, Naruto loves it. I smile as I gather out the ramen and turn on a pot of water.

Naruto's footsteps are heard as he descends the stairs and rounds the corner into the kitchen. The table was set for one and the chair was already pulled out. He sits down with a questioning look on his happy face.

"Aren't you going to eat too?" he says as he snaps apart his chopsticks.

"I already ate…you fell asleep, you bum." I cracked at him.

"I wasn't sleeping…I was thinking." he sticks his tongue out to emphasis his point.

"Yea…right." I say as I walk into the living room

"Hey! Aren't you going to sit with me!" I hear him whine from the kitchen. I smile as I yell back in his direction

"You're a big boy now!" I laugh as I hear his snort of disbelief. I wish that I could be that carefree sometimes…

XxXxXxXxXxXx

It's that time again…Naruto thinks as he allows Kakashi to pass into the house, not bothering to tell him that Sakura is sleeping, since she isn't really anyways.

"She'll probably be down to keep you company, you know." Naruto says to the silver-haired male. His only response was a brief nod of the head and shrug of the shoulders. Naruto didn't need anything else as he set off into the night with his orders on his mind, and his heart back in his home with Kakashi and Sakura.

"Kakashi? Naruto's out again?" I say with disbelief coloring my tone with a undertone of sourness to it.

"It would seem so." he says with his eyes closed and his feet propped up on the chair across from the couch. I was fine until he started to ask me a question he knew would piss me off.

"Have you ever heard that song, Miss Misery by Nazereth?" he says cracking at me. My eyes narrow dangerously almost closing all of the way.

"Yes…"

"Set me free, set me free, please, Miss Misery." he starts singing purposely off-key. My eyebrow twitches as my leg comes out and kicks him in the shin that is propped up next to me, hard. I hear him groan and drop his foot to the ground, he gives me a puppy dog look to me. I ignored it, I like to think that I am immune to such childish things…I do live with Naruto.

"Have you ever heard the song that goes 'I'm gonna killl youuuuuu?, huh, have you Sensei?" I spit at him in spite. He takes on a fake look of hurt as his hand covers his heart, taking on a childish voice,

"My names K-" my eyes widen as I hear him speak in a much younger, less gruff voice.

"You…I can't…."

**That's all folks. I hope you enjoyed it :3 I'll still be editing this chappy a lil bit so please excuse my grammar errors and whatnot :X**

**Review :3 tell me what you think!**

**xoxoxo,**

**FH**


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